A Conversation With

China’s footprint in Latin America and the Caribbean is becoming increasingly sophisticated, moving beyond traditional infrastructure projects into areas of political influence, elite capture, ideological positioning, and institutional penetration. In this second part of our interview, Vladimir Rouvinski, director of the Laboratory of Politics and International Relations (PoInt) at Icesi [ … ]

In this exclusive interview with Diálogo, Vladimir Rouvinski, director of the Laboratory of Politics and International Relations (PoInt) at Icesi University in Cali, Colombia, offers a clear-eyed assessment of China’s growing influence in Latin America and the Caribbean. Rouvinski warns that Beijing’s presence, which began with trade and infrastructure, extends deep [ … ]

With over three decades of distinguished service, Army Major General Roosevelt Hernández Aguilar, serves as the chairman of the Honduran Armed Forces’ Joint Chiefs of Staff. During his extensive career, marked by his participation in critical national and international missions, ranging from United Nations observer duties in Western Sahara, to [ … ]

In the first part of this interview, Leland Lazarus, a leading expert on China-Latin America relations and transnational crime and founder and CEO of Lazarus Consulting firm, discussed the expansion of Chinese organized crime networks across Latin America and the Caribbean. In this second part, he delves deeper into this [ … ]

Costa Rica’s Vice Minister of Special Investigation Units of the Ministry of Public Security Manuel Jiménez Steller brings a strong background in criminal law and extensive prosecutorial experience to his crucial role. Having led complex organized crime investigations and received specialized training in areas such as money laundering, maritime anti-drug [ … ]

In an eye-opening interview with Diálogo, Leland Lazarus, a leading expert on China-Latin America relations and transnational crime and founder and CEO of Lazarus Consulting firm, discussed the alarming rise of Chinese organized crime networks in Latin America and the Caribbean. Lazarus detailed how these networks engage in drug trafficking, [ … ]

Rear Admiral Jo-Ann F. Burdian, a distinguished Coast Guard Permanent Cutterman, assumed leadership of Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-South) in June 2024. Her extensive career, including commanding cutters and shaping strategic response policy, uniquely positions her to lead JIATF-South’s complex detection and monitoring operations against illicit trafficking. In this [ … ]

Panama’s National Border Service (SENAFRONT) Deputy Commissioner Maritza Censión is a trailblazer in her field. As the longest-serving female officer in SENAFRONT and the executive officer of the Panama East Third Brigade, she brings decades of experience to her role. This year, Deputy Commissioner Censión achieves another historic first, serving [ … ]

Naval engineer Captain Luis Carlos Camaño, head of the Naval Engineering Department at the Panamanian National Air and Naval Service’s (SENAN) Naval Maintenance Directorate, has dedicated 12 years to public service, 11 of them focused on maintaining and improving SENAN’s operations. Capt. Camaño, who honed his skills at the Naval [ … ]

Roger Mojica Rivera, a veteran with more than three decades of experience in international relations, administrative management, and public security, is the current director of Panama’s National Migration Service. His extensive career includes significant involvement in immigration issues. Having held key positions such as deputy director general of the National [ … ]

Diálogo had the opportunity to sit down with Major General Hermelindo Choz Soc, chief of the Guatemalan National Defense Staff, who brings more than three decades of military experience to his leadership role. Maj. Gen. Choz Soc, whose career includes numerous command positions within the Army, including defense attaché at [ … ]

A highly trained military officer with a robust and extensive military education, Brazilian Army Major General Flávio Moreira Mathias is exceptionally well-prepared for his current role fostering international partnerships. With a foundation built on advanced strategic studies and specialized training in diverse operational environments, including U.N. peacekeeping missions, Maj. Gen. [ … ]